Daily Independent (Lagos)
Tony Ademiluyi
15 October 2008
opinion
Lagos — The recent resignation of former South African President Thabo Mbeki came as a rude shock to me. I had admired his guts right from the horrifying apartheid years. He was denied full paternal affection as a result of his father's (Govan Mbeki) incarceration alongside the legendary Madiba Nelson Mandela in Robben Island from 1964 to 1990. It's one of those strange twists of fate that his dad's freedom-fighting efforts went largely unnoticed. Mbeki steeled himself for the challenges ahead by joining the African National Congress as a teenager. He fled the country on a political exile to the United Kingdom and was active in promoting the interests of the ANC abroad.
He returned from exile in the eighties and emerged as the first post-apartheid Deputy and the second President of the multiracial nation. His resignation with barely a year left in his tenure was therefore an anti-climax. What is consoling, however, is the fact that he didn't resign as a result of alleged or proven financial corruption charges which is the Achilles heel of most of his African compatriots. He resigned honourably without any attempt to sit tight after a decision was taken by both the parliament and the party to do so. It was alleged that he abused his office by trying to interfere in the investigations into the corruption charges levelled against the ANC Party leader and former vice-president, Jacob Zuma. Despite this dent, his efforts at healing the wounds inflicted by apartheid by encouraging the emotionally battered blacks to compete effectively in the business scene, mediating and playing a key role in the Zimbabwean crisis which led to a power sharing deal between the tyrant Robert Mugabe and the Opposition leader, Morgan Tsanvigirai, won't go unnoticed by posterity. He did Africa proud by following the footsteps of his predecessor by resisting the temptation to entrench himself permanently in office.
Coming down home gives one goose bumps. We are yet to witness resignations on moral grounds at whatever level. Whether it's in the polity, economy, religious etc there is always the undue attachment to power and its retention at all costs through any means conventional or otherwise. Despite the unpopularity of the General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida-led regime, especially after the June 12 presidential election annulment, he introduced a new lexicon into our political vocabulary when he announced on 26th August,1993 that he chose to "step aside." His attempt at a second coming to power in 2007 was met with stiff opposition. He met his match in deft players who countered his Maradona dribbles. The immediate past president Chief Olusegun Obasanjo 's case is even more pathetic. His global rating was so high in the eighties that he took a shot at the United Nations Secretary-generalship in 1986.His African Leadership Forum attracted leaders from all over the World. History being so kind to him beckoned on him and he became Nigeria's longest serving Leader.
If Obasanjo operated in a decent society, he would have had a lot of moral reasons to resign. His 200 million shares in the Transnational Corporation (Transcorp), his extortion from corporate bodies under the guise of a fundraising for his private palatial presidential library while still in office, his stubborn disobedience of court rulings would have been enough grounds for a forced resignation; the consequences of a refusal being an ignominious impeachment. Instead of a sober reflection over his atrocious activities, our self-proclaimed "Born Again" Christian boss hatched a failed tenure elongation bid. After a woeful failure, he forced a reluctant Umaru Yar'Adua down our throats. It is noteworthy that Jacob Zuma had the opportunity to swiftly impose himself on South Africa as her President which would have given him a soft landing for his alleged 2009 Presidential ambition. Instead, he nominated his Deputy, Kgalema Motlantha, for the plum job. It's ironical that it's the same Zuma that is dismissed as a vile and morally depraved man that still has some strands of morality left in him.
The tail-end of the Obasanjo regime had some hilarious events. The open disagreements between Obasanjo and Atiku showed the obsession Nigerian leaders have for power. Even though Nigeria doesn't operate the principle of collective responsibility, it was absurd for Atiku to blast his boss openly and still remain a member of the Federal Executive Council. Was there any morality in his dumping the Peoples Democratic Party, the platform on which he got the Vice-presidency, for the opposition Action Congress?
The plague currently affecting the entire Nigerian landscape is the controversial nature of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua. His health status which is shrouded in utmost secrecy is a ground for resignation in my humble opinion. By virtue of the exalted office he occupies, he owes Nigerians a duty to disclose his health status. Honestly speaking, there is absolutely no big deal in the disclosure. He is not going to be the first leader to have health crisis while in office. But the affected leaders, adhering to the rule of public servanthood, made a full disclosure of their health status to the public. The ball then was in the court of public opinion to pass the final verdict as to the fitness of these leaders. Right from his collapse at a rally during his campaign days, Yar'Adua owed the public a duty to disclose his health status. He continues to breach public trust by refusing to inform Nigerians about the actual state of his health which is obviously frail. He has been lacklustre in his fight against corruption. He is still groping in the dark as to formulating a clearcut economic policy. Above all, his hide-and-seek game with his health status has cost him public confidence. Thabo Mbeki may lack the charisma of a Nelson Mandela and the common touch of a Jacob Zuma, however, his decision to resign would
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